NHTSA Complaint #10312210 — 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX

I OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX THAT WAS TOTALLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN 2006. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND WAS THE ONLY OWNER. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT MY SISTER WAS DRIVING, AND I WAS THE PASSENGER. BASICALLY, WE WERE DRIVING ON CRUISE CONTROL IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE HIGHWAY, A SEMI CUT US OFF, AND WHEN MY SISTER PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. I WITNESSED HER PRESSING THE BRAKE, AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. MY SISTER SWERVED INTO THE RIGHT LANE TO AVOID REAR-ENDING THE SEMI, LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR, SPUN INTO THE SIDE OF THE SEMI, AND THEN BOUNCED OFF THE SEMI AND RAN OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THE SPEED, AND ACCELERATION OF THE CAR DID NOT CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COURSE OF THE ACCIDENT. WHEN THE POLICE CAME OUT, BOTH MY SISTER AND I DESCRIBED THESE EVENTS TO THE POLICE OFFICERS. I ALSO EXPLAINED THIS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. AT THE TIME, I BELIEVED SO STRONGLY THAT THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED IN SOME WAY THAT I TRIED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER, BUT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOT INTERESTED. AT THE TIME I DID SOME RESEARCH TO SEE IF OTHER DRIVERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, BUT I COULD FIND NOTHING. SINCE THE CAR WAS TOTALLED, I COULD NOT KEEP THE CAR TO HAVE IT EXAMINED AND I HAD LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO LET THE MATTER GO. NOW IT IS FOUR YEARS LATER AND THERE IS A MASSIVE TOYOTA RECALL, BUT THE 2004 MATRIX IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I FEEL OBLIGATED TO FILE A COMPLAINT, NOT FOR GAIN ON MY PART, BUT BECAUSE I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS IN TOYOTA CARS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FAR LONGER THAN TOYOTA WILL ADMIT, AND THE MALFUNCTIONS ARE MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THE YEARS AND MODELS CURRENTLY LISTED. I ALSO OWN A 2006 MATRIX THAT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I AM BEGGING THAT THERE BE A WIDESPREAD INVESTIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE AFFECTED YEARS AND MODELS ARE ADDED TO THE RECALLS. THIS MUST BE DONE TO SAVE LIVES. *TR